An Eternal Love
by D. Devereaux
Summary: Jasper finds his true mate and the family couldn't be happier for him. Someone comes to town to try and tear Jasper's happiness from him. Will they be able to or will love conquer all? Also, an interesting fact is revealed about Jasper's mate. J/OC, A/D, C/E, Em/Rose, E/B, Nessie/J. Rated M for language, violence, and lemons! Please give it a try and review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Any recognizable characters, plots, settings, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer alone. I am not trying to take credit away from her hard work and success. The only plots, characters, settings, etc. that are mine, are the ones that are completely made up by me and me alone. This story is rated M for language, violence, lemons, and anything else not suitable for people under eighteen years old. Remember to review! Thanks you & I hope you enjoy. I will try to update my story once a week, probably Sundays.**

**Edited by the wonderful Cori!**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - New Beginnings**

_**Flashback Alice's POV:**_

_I can't believe that everything is done with the Volturi. What I can't believe more is that Jasper and I are no more. I knew that we weren't true mates, but we were together for so long that it just got... comfortable. One thing that is even harder to believe is who my mate really is. Demetri. He is amazing. I find it amazing that once the confrontation was finished, Aro told him that he was finally free of the guard to come be with me. I had known, since Bella and I had that awful trip to Volterra, that he was my mate. When I saw him, I knew and I could tell that he did too. We obviously couldn't act on it though because he was "chained" to the guard and I was still keeping up appearances with Jasper. When I got home, Jasper and I sat down and had a nice, long talk. We reminisced about when we first met and we talked about these last fifty or so years together. We both knew that it wouldn't last forever. I never hide anything from him and vice versa, so I told him all about Demetri and he was very happy for me. He seemed sad, though, because he didn't know who his mate was and wasn't sure he would ever find her. I told him that he would, and now I can tell him that I have finally found her and she is in Seattle! We are going to be packing up tonight for our next move. A new city, a new high school, and new friends to find._

_**End of flashback.**_

**Present day: Seattle, WA (One year after the confrontation with the Volturi) -**

**Jasper's POV -**

I am not overly thrilled to be a high school senior again, but at least I will have my family, like always. This time though, I won't be Alice Cullen's boyfriend, Jasper Hale. I will finally be Jasper Whitlock again. I miss my real name and can't wait to finally be able to use it. We will all, yet again, be the adopted children of Dr. and Mrs. Carlisle Cullen but there will be a few changes. Renesmee will be with us, along with Jacob and Demetri. My family is almost complete; I just need to finally find her.

"Jas!" Alice yells from the doorway of my room, effectively pulling me from my daydream.

"Hey Allie. What's up?" I ask, suppressing a smile for my ex-wife, because I am still more than a little annoyed that she doesn't know who my mate is.

"Oh come on Jas. You know that you are going to forgive me the minute you know who she is. Look in your e-mail and maybe you will stumble across her," she said with a sly smile and a wink.

"What are you talking about Allie?"

"Check your e-mail, cowboy. We got the student directory, complete with pictures of all the students... even the new ones." She said over her shoulder as she was running out of the house for a quick hunt with Demetri. At least I'm not the newest vegetarian anymore. It's a relief knowing that they trust me a little more now, and they are keeping a close eye on someone else to make sure that humans don't get slaughtered. I chuckle, thinking back to Bella's eighteenth birthday. I think of that night fondly now because it is probably one of the reasons my sister-in-law and I have become so close. We had a long talk about it after she was changed. She forgave me and we had a nice laugh about that time I tried to kill her.

As I go to my desk and sit down, powering on my laptop, I feel like if I were human I would be shaking and more nervous than I already am. I would probably be sweating bullets too. I access my e-mail and quickly scan the page for a message from our new high school, Ballard High School. As I'm about to try and refresh my inbox, I see the message. In the subject, it states 'Ballard High School Student Directory for the upcoming school year.' I open up the message and scroll through. I see many pretty blondes but then I come across a picture that would take my breath away, if I were still human. She is the epitome of beauty. She is perfect, the most beautiful creature in existence. Then, I know why I'm here. I'm here for her and only her. She is the one, my mate, the person I will spend eternity with. Heather Hill.

As I sit here looking at her picture, in a trance of sorts, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I can somewhat hear Bella in the background, but I can't seem to pay enough attention to what she is actually saying. I hear the worry in her voice but I can't tear my eyes away from Heather. I hear Alice come in and tell her that everything is alright with me and they leave me to my musings. I will meet her, get her to fall in love with me, and everything will be as it should be...hopefully.

I decide that it's time to get up from staring at the screen, because it's been forty-seven minutes, not that I've been keeping track or anything. I don't need a break, but the anticipation running through the house is getting on my nerves, so I need to tell my family what is going on. All of them are feeling many emotions ranging from happiness to love, and I know that a lot of them have been waiting for this day, not as much as I have, but still they deserve to know that it's come. Edward probably knows because of his butting into people's minds and all, but I can't begrudge him of it. He has been one of my biggest supporters since Alice and my divorce.

"Hey Edward." I say as I walk down the stairs at a human pace and he smiles and nods. I acknowledge my whole family, who are gathered in the living room, probably per Alice's request once she "saw" that I would want to talk to them. I stop at the bottom of the staircase and sit down. They all sit on the couches and anxiously wait to hear what I am about to say. "She's coming and her name is Heather, Heather Hill." They all smile and a sense of relief washes over all of them and I realize that it's my relief and I am projecting it onto everyone. I get a hold of my emotions and then I feel relief, happiness, and love radiating through them. They love me and I love that they do, because I probably would not have made it where I am today. Without them, I wouldn't have made it here, to her, without their help, love, and support.

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**2 Weeks Later: The first day of school -**

It is the first day of school and I am halfway through my boring school day. I have seen all of my family and I am beginning to wonder if I will ever meet, or even see, Heather. I walk into my AP calculus class and stop in my tracks. I take an unneeded breath and continue to move, hoping nobody saw my moment of awe. There she is. I see that there is a seat right behind her that is vacant, so I quickly take it before some annoying senior can and wonder what I should say to her first. This is new to me, this feeling of inadequacy. I have never been at a loss for words before and I am feeling very vulnerable. What if I never figure out what to say or she meets someone else before I have the appropriate amount of time to make her realize that we were made for each other?

I'm starting to sound like a sap, I know. I am a southern gentleman; I have fought in human wars and the Southern vampire wars. I should not sound like I am some human boy who hasn't even lost his virginity. I feel pathetic.

"Hey, do you have a pen I can borrow? Mine just broke." In my silent war with myself, I hadn't even noticed that she has turned around and her eyes are staring straight into my soul. Reaching into my bag, I grab out a pen and hand it to her without saying a word. She smiles the sweetest smile I have ever seen and turns back just as the teacher walks in.

* * *

"Thank you for the pen." Heather says with that gorgeous smile, and hands me my pen back. This is the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation. Class is just about to end and all of the children are sitting around talking.

"You're welcome. You can keep it, in case you have a pen emergency in the future, ma'am." My Southern twang makes an appearance and I rather miss it. I miss being in Texas and being one of those Southern boys who respected women and helped their mothers in the kitchen and their fathers in the fields. However, those were my human days and this is a new adventure. This is me, Jasper Whitlock, meeting the woman of my dreams.

She giggles and a beautiful blush covers her cheeks and neck. "Thank you very much, kind sir." She says this as she curtsies. "I have always loved Southern gentlemen. What is your name?"

"I'm Jasper Whitlock. I'm new here. May I ask who you are?" I say with a smile that is as bright as the stars on a clear Texas night in the farm areas.

"It's very nice to meet you Jasper. I'm Heather Hill." As the bell rings she smiles and starts walking away. Before she gets to the door, she turns around and says, "I'll see you tomorrow, cowboy."

Yes, this is the girl for me. Bold, gorgeous, and alluring. She isn't like all the other girls around here who wear their skirts a little too high and shirts a little too low, hoping to attract all of the pathetic boys. She was covered but you could still see that she had very nice curves. She had gorgeous, bright blue eyes that sparkled when she smiled, and beautiful dirty blonde hair down to her mid-back. I was definitely going to enjoy courting her.

Walking out of class, I see Alice with Demetri and I smile. "Hey Allie and D. How's your day been?"

"It's been great! I saw that you talked to Heather and she is definitely smitten. She is planning to talk with you in Calculus again tomorrow. Oh Jas, I'm so happy for you!" She says as she bounces up and down. If she weren't a vampire, she would probably trip if she were trying to walk and jump at the same time. Good thing she's graceful.

"It was alright. I don't like these children very much." Demetri says, a little less animatedly than his bouncy mate.

I smile, bid them a good day and leave school, desperate to get home and start trying to figure out my next move where Heather is concerned. At least I know that she is going to talk to me tomorrow. Usually humans are afraid of us and their instincts tell them to stay away. This girl is reminding me a bit of Bella as a human; it is interesting that every great once in a while, we find someone who does not run away screaming when we aren't trying to dazzle them. I'm hoping that later she won't run away once she finds out what I really am.

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**A/N: Please don't forget to review! Reviews make me update faster! :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Any recognizable characters, plots, settings, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer alone. I am not trying to take credit away from her hard work and success. The only plots, characters, settings, etc. that are mine, are the ones that are completely made up by me and me alone. This story is rated M for language, violence, lemons, and anything else not suitable for people under eighteen years old. Remember to review! Thanks you & I hope you enjoy. I will try to update my story once a week, probably Sundays.**

**Edited by the wonderful Cori!**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - A New Jasper**

**Jasper's POV -**

Racing home from school, I decided to have a quick hunt. The burn in my throat was not altogether horrid, but still uncomfortable. I wanted to make sure that I was completely satiated before seeing Heather again tomorrow, because I would never forgive myself if I slipped in front of her. While running, I realized, though, that the burn in my throat wasn't existent when I was around her. Usually, I was always aware of the burning sensation, whether it was miniscule or the fiercest of burns. I should ask Carlisle about that; he may know more about why I would suddenly be so controlled.

Finding a herd of deer, I quickly took two out and filled myself to the point that I could feel the crimson liquid sloshing around in my stomach. I ran back to the house, intent on finding Carlisle and figuring out some important details before tomorrow.

As I neared the house, I felt anxious. I really hoped that everything tomorrow with Heather went well. I would not be able to stand it if I did something to make her feel like she didn't want anything to do with me. For example, ripping the throat out of someone because they looked at her the wrong way. Many of the feelings that were coming from the boys in calculus were mixtures of lust and nervousness when they looked her way. I can't really blame the hormonal teenagers. She is gorgeous and new. She is like a new toy that a small child will get and play with for a while, then discard when they tire of it. I wouldn't be doing this though; she is my everything already. I will cherish her and always keep her safe from whatever may come.

Running into the house and up the stairs, heading straight for Carlisle's study at more than a human pace, I take a few deep breaths. I hear him behind the closed door and knock twice before opening the door.

"Carlisle, may I have a moment of your time, please?" I say with a slight hesitation.

"Of course, Jasper, have a seat." He says, gesturing to one of the chairs that are placed in front of his desk. As he sits down, he smiles at me and waits for me to start the conversation that I need to have with him, feeling slightly curious as to my reasons for needed to speak with him.

I take a few deep breaths, trying to organize all of my thoughts. I don't think that, in all of my years as a vampire, I have ever had a horrid feeling of being completely scatterbrained. For a moment, I have no idea where to start, so I start at the very beginning.

"I saw her today, Carlisle. She is in my AP Calculus class and she is magnificent. She is a little peach." I smile, thinking of a cute Texas girl, I swear, she could be a belle. "She is sweet and she smells like calla lilies blowing in a summer breeze. The emotions coming off her are pure and she has the most beautiful and genuine smile I have seen in a long time." I paused, trying to come up with the right words to describe her because I felt like I was failing miserably. There are no words to describe her utter perfection. I sigh, knowing that I will never be able to really express everything in the exact right way and continue with why I needed to speak with my father figure of sorts. "I don't feel the burn in my throat like I normally do. I don't feel even the slightest need to feed when she is around. However, when she isn't around, I feel the burn again, not so horrible as a few years ago, but still. Christ, I have no idea how to describe this."

Carlisle smiles and leans forward, putting his forearms on his desk and linking his fingers together. He takes an unneeded breath and begins, "I understand Jasper. It is completely normal to feel this way. She is your mate and you don't want to hurt her. I can't say that I know from experience, but everything I have read up until now, about human mates, tells me that this is exactly what should happen."

"But Edward still felt the burn with Bella when she was human. He was able to control it easier, but he still felt it. I don't feel the burn at all, not even a slight stinging."

"It's because Bella was his singer. He would always feel the burn for her blood, even if she were his mate. The literature that I have read on the subject however stated that if a human is your mate and you interact with them before they are changed, the burn would completely disappear when they are around. You do not want to hurt them in any way. Physically, emotionally, or any other way. Your main instinct is to love and protect them, even if it means protecting them from yourself. If you felt the burn around your mate, it would be very difficult to control yourself around them, thus possibly causing harm to them emotionally or physically."

He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face and I instantly felt better, knowing that I wouldn't be a danger to my mate. I smiled at Carlisle, thanking him, and exited his study feeling at ease. I walked to my bedroom and laid down on my king sized bed with my arms resting behind my head. I pictured Heather, every detail about her fresh in my mind. I pictured her gorgeous hair and her radiant smile, her shining eyes and gloriously fragrant scent. She was perfect and I knew that I would never be able to think of her as anything less than my own person happiness. From now on, she would be the reason for my existence; she would be the one person who drove me to better myself on a constant basis.

* * *

Pulling into the parking with Alice, I see Heather sitting in her car in the parking space next to us. I look over at Alice in the driver's seat and she just gives me a knowing smile. I smirk at my conspiratorial ex-wife and thank whatever god may be out there that she is still my best friend. The know-it-all pixie is sitting there looking over at Heather and I can feel her annoyance. I give her a look as to as what her problem is.

"She is just sitting in her car, a half an hour before school starts, and you can't even get out and go say hello?"

"Wouldn't that look weird? We have only talked once and that was only yesterday. It might look a little stalker like."

"She will think it's sweet, I promise." She smiled at me and I knew I should never bet against Alice. I smiled and got out of the car.

Closing the door behind me, I took an unneeded breath and tapped on Heather's window. Startled, she looked up at me and smiled, rolling down her window.

"Hi... Jasper right?"

"Why, yes, ma'am." I say with a hint of my prior Southern drawl, smiling to myself because I feel comfortable enough around her to be completely myself. "What are you doin' out here? It's a bit chilly today."

She looks at me with a confused expression on her face. "You're one to talk. Where are you?"

"Touché, little lady." I say, with a very thick Southern drawl and I feel her arousal spike. Oh, so she likes the Southern men, does she? I could use that to my advantage.

"Why don't you get in here? I would greatly appreciate the company." She says, smiling and rolling up her window. I give her a grin that makes her arousal and curiosity spike even higher and walk around to the passenger side of her Hyundai Santa Fe.

I gracefully open the door, sliding into her warm car and look over at her. "So, why are you sittin' out here by yourself?"

"Well, I like to read, so I generally read before school starts, and I don't really know anyone here yet, so that would explain the alone thing. What are you doing here so early?"

"I generally get here early. I usually ride with Alice and Demetri; they both tend to drive at a speed that isn't exactly slow." I smile at the implied meaning, even though she has no idea what I find so entertaining.

"Oh. Is Alice your girlfriend?" She asks a hint of jealousy mixed with curiosity radiating out of her.

"No." I say with a chuckle. "She and Demetri are dating. She is my adopted sister. We are very good friends too." If she only knew that Alice is my ex-wife she would probably be thoroughly appalled, and probably confused as to why an eighteen year old has an ex-wife.

"So, you said you're new here, right?"

"Good memory, Heather. Yes, I am. My family and I just moved here about a month ago."

"That's cool. I moved here a couple of weeks ago. I don't really enjoy all of the rain, but people seem nice enough." She said, feeling a small amount of lust as she looked at me.

"They do." I said, thinking of all the boys who wanted her yesterday in class. I would have to try to change the way they felt about her. I know a few ways I could do this, but it would involve her cooperation and she didn't know me that well yet. She really didn't seem like the type to kiss a stranger in front of a class full of people, let alone at all. Seriously Jasper? Thinking about kissing her and you have only known her a day? She may be your mate, but slow down, dope!

"Well Jasper, should we head in? It's almost time for homeroom." She looked at me and her hope spiked.

"Sure. May I walk with you to your classroom?"

I felt her emotions skyrocket. She felt the connection between us and that would definitely help me to convince her that we belonged together. "Of course Jasper. That would be lovely" She stepped out of her car and I followed suit. She locked it and we started walking into the building.

* * *

All day I felt like a new man. I finally felt like my old self, Southern drawl and all. I felt the lust coming off every girl and woman today, including the teachers. Deplorable women, I was a student as far as they were concerned. They shouldn't be feeling everything they were when I was around or at all for that matter.

Walking into AP Calculus I didn't see Heather at all. Where was she? I had passed her in the hallways all day and every time I saw her, she would smile and I could feel how much she really liked me, which gave me immense hope that we could progress in our relationship at a decent pace. I sat down at my desk, right behind hers, and waited.

When the final bell rang, stating that all students should be in their respective classrooms, and the teacher walked in to start the class, I started to get a little paranoid. I didn't know if she was in the habit of being late to class but I would wait here, to see if she showed. If not, I would go and find her, even if I went in the middle of the class. It wouldn't matter if I left early; I already knew everything that was being taught. This wasn't my first rodeo after all.

As I sit in my desk, I can't help but be fidgety because I can't simply wait for my belle to enter the room. This is ridiculous. Not even ten minutes pass and I get out of my seat, politely telling the teacher that I need to go the nurse, and I leave the room. Walking down the hallway at a faster than human pace, without being too fast, I head for the front door to look for her car. I spot it, still sitting next to Alice's and there she is, sitting there in the driver's seat and... Crying? I rush over and knock on her window. She rolls it down while roughly wiping at her water stained face.

"Jasper, what's up? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? I wasn't feeling well and I'm leaving early. What are you doing out here?" I feel a sense of regret and a strong sadness coming off her in large waves; it's like a tsunami crashing into me.

She looks up at me, fresh tears building in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. Her chin and bottom lip quiver slightly and I would give anything to ease her burdens, no matter what they are. "I... I'm not feeling well either. Can I give you a ride or something? I'm just on my way home." She tries to smile, desperately trying not to let me see her pain.

"Thank you. That would be lovely. I live a bit of a distance though, right outside of the city in a more secluded area."

"It's fine. Get in." She starts the car as I go to the passenger side and quickly get in. As she pulls out of the parking lot, she starts wiping at her eyes, trying desperately to get rid of the unshed tears.

"Is everything alright, darlin'?"

She is startled and looks over at me, but I feel her slight giddiness at the term of endearment. "Yeah. I just... It's hard to explain. I'm just going through some things is all."

"Anything that you care to talk about? I'm a really great listener, I've been told." I say, smiling and trying to figure out a way to lighten the mood. This is not how I expected this day to go at all. I want her to be happy and I would do anything, anything to wipe her sorrow away. I send a wave of calm and patiently wait for her to speak.

"No. It's all right. I don't want to burden you with my problems. They will work themselves out eventually. You're very kind to care, though. I really appreciate it." She slightly smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes, not like it did earlier this morning or yesterday when her gorgeous smile would light her deep blue eyes so tremendously.

"Well, the offer stands, anytime. Here, I'll give you my number." I grab her cell phone that is sitting in the cup holder contained in the middle console and quickly type in my cell phone. I then give her directions to my secluded house and after about half an hour, we pull into my long driveway, surrounded by trees. It is amazing that we found a property like the one in Forks. It didn't take long to secure the property and build the house either. It is almost identical to our previous one, except somewhat larger.

She stares in awe at the house as she puts the car in park, just by the large front porch. I can feel the pure fascination coming off her, and I smile.

"This is your house?"

"Yeah. It's a little large for my taste, but it's nice, none-the-less."

"It's beautiful Jasper." She looks at it through the windshield and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face.

"Would you like to come in and take a look?" I offer, hoping beyond hope that she will, even though I can feel the doubt in her emotions.

"I shouldn't. I need to get home. Maybe some other time though?"

"That would be lovely, darlin'. I greatly look forward to it." I smile and step out of the car, shutting the door behind me and walking up to the porch. I look back and smile. I wave as she turns around and pulls out of the driveway. She waves back and smiles, before driving away and I feel a sense of loss at her retreat. Maybe I should be stalkerish like Edward used to be, before Bella knew he would watch her sleep. I feel this great need to be close to her.

I walk in and see Edward, Bella, Nessie, and Jacob. "Hey, everyone. Why didn't you all go to school today?"

"Jake wasn't feeling so well. Nessie wanted to stay home to take care of him and Edward wanted some... alone time with me." Bella said a smile on her lips and a hint of arousal in the air.

I smile and retreat to my room, guessing that Rose, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme were out hunting. We all have the day off tomorrow, since it's Saturday, and I'm thinking of going for a quick hunt tonight and then seeing if I can "run into" Heather tomorrow. I can't wait to see her again. I'm definitely a new Jasper.

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**A/N: Please don't get to review! Reviews = Love!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Any recognizable characters, plots, settings, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer alone. I am not trying to take credit away from her hard work and success. The only plots, characters, settings, etc. that are mine, are the ones that are completely made up by me and me alone. This story is rated M for language, violence, lemons, and anything else not suitable for people under eighteen years old. Remember to review! Thanks you & I hope you enjoy.**

**Edited by the fantastic Cori, as always! :-)**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Sightings**

**Jasper's POV -**

Strolling casually up to the front door of my family's home at a human pace, I can barely contain the smile that seems etched into my features, permanently. I had a great hunt and I feel pleasantly full, full enough to where I can get away with going out tomorrow and trying to orchestrate a run-in with the love of my existence. Walking through the door, I hear the voices of my family speaking in the living room, sounding like there is a slight disagreement going on, and I feel the tense emotions in the air.

"Jacob, you can't do that! It's too dangerous so close to the trails. With Renesmee with you is even worse. What if someone sees the two of you and spreads rumors? We would have to leave, and you know how Jasper would feel about that. Our family would be broken up because you screwed up, and he won't leave Heather!" Edward sounded like he had venom in his words. He didn't want his family split up anymore than the rest of us did, and he really didn't want to have to go through life listening to the hurt thoughts of his family if they had to leave without me. I knew as much because he and I had had long discussions about it, knowing that it may be a possibility at some point.

Everyone knew the draw that mates had to each other, and they knew that Heather and I could never be separated permanently, now that I had found her. She was the reason for my existence. If I were forced to be apart from her, which wouldn't happen unless she requested it, I would surely die. I would follow in Edward's foolish footsteps from years ago, going to the Volturi and begging for my end, doing something stupid if they refused. I knew they would though; I had a gift and Aro never wanted to waste any monster who possessed a gift, whether he needed the gift or not among his guard. As I was nearing the living room, a sudden hush fell over the family, realizing that I was now home from my hunt. Walking into the living room, everyone put on a smile, but they knew that I wasn't fooled; they still felt emotions of turmoil.

Alice was the first to approach me, almost dancing to my side and whispering, "The flea market tomorrow. It won't be raining, but it will be a gloomy day. You can thank me later." She didn't have to whisper but sometimes she felt the need to keep up pretenses that it gave a conversation some privacy. Always the optimist. I winked at her as she flitted to Demetri's side again.

"So, Jacob got a little too close to humans in wolf form or what? What is going on?" I asked, hating being kept out of the loop when it could concern me and possibly my love.

"Jake just got too close to the trails when we were out a little while ago. I smelled humans right away and we retreated, but dad is having a meltdown because of it. Could you please talk some sense into him Uncle Jas?" Nessie almost begged, wanting Edward to calm down with all of the dramatics. Normally it was Rose freaking out about having to uproot the family. I'm sure that she would have if Edward had let her get a word in edgewise. Rose and I were probably closer than I was to anyone, seeing as how we had to pretend to be biologically brother and sister for so long in Forks.

"Nessie, your dad has a point. Jake should be a bit more careful and I hope he remembers that next time you two are out in the woods. Edward, chill out. Our family won't be separated, because Jake is a smart guy, he knows what he is doing and when they smelled humans, they had the good sense to leave quickly. Everything will be fine," I said with my never dwindling smile.

"Well, look who suddenly turned into an optimist. Sticking up for Jake and everything. I'm sure you're right Jas, my husband has just been so stressed lately," Bella came up to me and spoke her next words softer,

"We have been cutting back our bedroom activities a bit." She winked with a wicked grin on her lips.

"EWWWW mom! What the hell! I do not need to hear that. It's bad enough I always know when you and dad are doing the dirty." Nessie said, making a gagging noise.

I sent out a calm vibe throughout the room and retreated to my room to mentally prepare for my next meeting with Heather. I hope that she is all right. Earlier when she gave me a ride home, she had feelings of dread, longing, and hurt running through her. I miss her like crazy and it's only been a few hours. This cowboy is certainly in for a ride with this girl, I can tell already.

* * *

**Heather's POV -**

"Dad, I just hate this. Moving here under these circumstances, I can't be honest with anyone, I feel like my life is ending!" I sobbed onto his shoulder, effectively wetting his shirt with my tears. The second I got home from dropping Jasper off, I had the worst meltdown yet since we moved.

"It will be okay, baby girl. I won't let anything happen to you and I hope you won't have to lie for much longer. Just be careful. Do you still have your pepper spray?" He asked, rubbing my back as he did when I was little and would have a bad dream or feel ill.

"Yes. What is that really going to do if things go wrong?"

"I don't know, honey, but it makes me feel better. Humor your old man, please."

"Okay. I think I'm going to try to get some rest. I haven't been sleeping well since..." My voice trailed off and broke slightly on the last word. This was ridiculous.

"I know. It's the same for your mother and me too. I love you." He said as he got up to leave my room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

I got dressed into my shorts, tank top, and climbed back into bed under my covers and grabbed one of my favorite books from my favorite author, R. L. Mathewson. I had read all of her books about a million times. They were great romances and they always made me feel better about my loveless personal life. I read a few pages and felt my eyes getting heavier and heavier with each passing minute. I hoped that I would catch up on actual sleep instead of waking in the middle of the night with cold sweats and nightmares of my real life.

* * *

I awoke in the morning with a content sigh. I had slept through the night and the nightmares had stayed away all night. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt like I was safe, safer than I had felt in about a month. It almost felt like everything would be all right for once since we left our old house. Climbing out of bed and stretching my stiff muscles, I realized that it was only six in the morning. I couldn't go to the flea market yet, but I needed to get out of the house, desperately. Quickly thinking over the things that I could do, I decided to take a walk through the woods.

We lived on the outskirts of Seattle, and there was plush greenery behind my house. It was also a nice feeling that I didn't live too far from Jasper. Why was I thinking about him? It was like a calming effect to my dark life whenever I thought about it, but it left an ache in my chest that I wasn't all too familiar with when he wasn't around. When he was around, it was as if the ache was gone, but that was ONLY when he was around. I decided not to look too deeply into that, since I had only just met him two days ago. Shaking the thoughts from my head, I dressed in jeans, a light blue sweater, and my sneakers. Going downstairs, I decided that I would have breakfast when I returned from my walk and probably a yummy cup of hot cocoa Grabbing my jacket, I headed out the front door, locking it behind me and walking toward the wooded area.

After about twenty minutes of walking, I heard a noise that sounded like a large animal. My heartbeat quickened in my chest as my flight or fight urges kicked in, knowing that if the animal was close and as large as it sounded, I wouldn't know how to get out of that situation if it wanted to eat me. Then, I heard a tinkering laugh. It sounded like a girl and was followed by a barking sound. Okay, this may be just my imagination running away from me again. I tended to have an overactive imagination, which was why I wanted to be a writer.

I continued walking, deciding that it was my imagination, until something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It was a HUGE russet colored wolf and a girl, probably around sixteen, walking with this giant animal. It seemed that the girl wasn't frightened at all and I was shaking. Just the sheer size of the animal and its close proximity to the girl had me trembling. A low gasp escaped my traitorous lips, the wolf's head turned in my direction, locking eyes with me, and the girl stopped walking to look in my direction as well. As soon as that happened, she climbed on the wolf's back and they were gone as fast as they had appeared. I turned and ran the half mile or so home and didn't stop until I was inside with the door locked nice and tight.

* * *

**Jasper's POV -**

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" I heard Renesmee chanting from outside. "What are we going to do, Jake? My dad will kill us and Uncle Jas will likely have a friggin' fit!" That caught my full attention. What the hell happened?

I ran outside just as Edward, Bella, and the rest of my family did. "Are you kidding Jake? Have you gone and lost your mind all of a sudden?! Did you not hear anything that I said last night?" Edward said, obviously hearing something inside Jake's mind.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean for..." Renesmee started to explain but Edward wouldn't listen and he cut her off.

"I don't want to hear it, Renesmee Carlie Cullen. I will deal with you later. Please go to your room, right now I need to speak with Jake," he said, anger pouring off him in waves.

Renesmee ran past all of us and slammed the front door behind her, tears streaming down her face. Jake just looked like he was about to run when Edward grabbed the collar of his shirt and got in his face. As he spoke, my mind wasn't registering anything past Heather's name. I was gone in an instant, following the pull inside my chest as it lessened, knowing that I was nearing wherever she was.

I stopped in the forest behind a modest sized two-story house and the ache in my chest was nearly nonexistent. I could hear her racing heart and her quiet sobs coming from the second floor. I looked to the window and resisted the urge to go to it, so that I could see for myself that she was all right. From what I heard, she had seen Jake and Nessie in the forest, Jake in wolf form. The only thing I wanted to do was to hold her and tell her that everything would be fine, explain what she had seen, and help her to calm down. Her emotions were a mix of fear and complete panic. She was talking to herself, wondering if she should tell her parents what she saw or if she should keep it to herself, knowing that they would blame it on her outrageous imagination. She couldn't seem to control her thoughts or calm her racing heart and ragged breathing. I hope that she still planned to go out today, in the safety of a crowd, where she wouldn't be feeling terrified. My hope was soaring as I heard her come to that very conclusion. I was so thankful that she seemed very levelheaded.

* * *

**Heather's POV -**

Calming myself down, I decided that it was time to go out. I was excited to get some sort of distraction from earlier events. Being in a crowd would definitely be a good thing, nothing bad could happen in a crowd of people, hopefully. I picked myself up off of the floor of my bedroom and checked myself out in the mirror, making sure that I was presentable enough to be in public. I went downstairs, said a quick hello to my parents, told them where I was off to, and headed out.

Pulling up to the flea market, I was a little overwhelmed. It was huge! I parked my car and carefully stepped out, walking toward the huge market, where I was sure to find at least one thing that was good enough to buy. I desperately hope that there is something here to take my mind off the events of today. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the mass of people and got lost among all of the interesting items.

* * *

Two hours later and I was only on the third booth in the never-ending flea market. There had to be a hundred booths. As I was looking at all of the necklaces, that appeared to be hand-made, I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into a very hard wall. Wait, what? I looked up, expecting to see a wall but not really knowing why, since I was outside, but my breath caught in my throat when I saw a very handsome, cowboy god. I blushed and suddenly realized that I felt so safe and happy. I had never been so happy to see anyone in my life. His blonde curls cascaded to the middle of his face and he wore the brightest smile I had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on.

"Well, hello there, darlin'. Fancy running into you here." He said in a sexy southern drawl that had my panties instantly soaked. Nobody had ever had that effect on me before. He seemed to have the perfect combination of sex appeal and a southern gentleman attitude that made him seem so irresistible.

I struggled to find my voice and when I did, I couldn't stop smiling at him, probably looking like an idiot.

"Hi, Jasper. It's good to see you again. H-how are you?" Great, I stuttered and probably embarrassed myself, probably making him completely uninterested. Any minute he would see that I was a moron and head the opposite way, never speaking to me again.

He laughed and the sound made me want to laugh as well. It was an intoxicating sound. Speaking of intoxicating, what kind of cologne does he wear? He dipped down and kissed my cheek gently with those gorgeous lips that I suddenly wanted all over my body. Slow down sister, you barely know him and he may not even be interested, I internally admonished myself.

"I'm doing just fine now. How are you doin'?" Wait, now? Does he mean that he's happy to see me? Oh, I hope so, desperately. Wow, I'm starting to sound like an obsessed teenybopper, one of those girls that I really, really hate.

"I'm...okay. What are you doing here? Looking for anything specific?"

"You could say that." He said with his gorgeous smile and a wink. I felt ridiculous amounts of heat coming from my woman parts as my panties grew wetter, even though I'm sure that wasn't possible. Today was definitely looking up.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Any recognizable characters, plots, settings, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer alone. I am not trying to take credit away from her hard work and success. The only plots, characters, settings, etc. that are mine, are the ones that are completely made up by me and me alone. This story is rated M for language, violence, lemons, and anything else not suitable for people under eighteen years old. Remember to review! Thanks you & I hope you enjoy.**

**Edited by my wonderful editor Cori! :-D**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Firsts**

**Jasper's POV -**

Walking out of the flea market with the most beautiful woman walking next to me, I can't seem to control the smile gracing my face or the thoughts of more that are circling around my head. I want more with her. I don't want to rush things, but I at least want to take her out on a date. It would definitely be a first for me, taking a human out on a date, and I'm sure it would be a first for her, being out with a vampire, even though she won't know it. I feel like I can be myself around her, well as far as my real self, but not my vampire self. I don't want to freak her out yet; I want to keep this feeling of bliss before I have to scare her to death. I also want to spend more time with her and find out why she was acting so skittish today, constantly looking over her shoulder and looking so pale at times when she would stare into space. I could feel nervousness and dread taking over her emotions; I just don't know why.

"So darlin', what do you have planned for the rest of the evenin'?" I asked, lightly taking her hand in mine, another first. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away and I felt calm coming from her. It was a welcomed feeling, compared to the turmoil she had been feeling all day.

"Not much. Probably just going home and doing some homework that's due Monday. Our calculus class is pretty difficult, but I think I can breeze through with a B if I work my ass off," she said smiling.

"If you ever need help, I'm pretty decent at math. I'm also great at history if you ever feel the need for help."

"That would actually be wonderful! I have a paper due in my American History class on Friday, and I'm terrible with history. I would really appreciate all the help I can get."

"I would be honored to assist you, ma'am." I said, bowing over her hand and grazing her knuckles gently with my lips. The blush that took over her skin was remarkable and I found myself wanting to see it over and over again.

"Thank you, kind sir." She said, curtsying with a smile.

"So, since you were just going to head home and do homework, would you want to grab some dinner? Studying on an empty stomach is highly dangerous; as I'm sure you're aware." I gave a sly smile and watched hopefully.

"That sounds lovely, Jasper. But, I don't think I can. I'm sorry." She looked down at the ground and fidgeted with her car keys, feeling ashamed about something, though I'm not sure what.

"Are you sure? I'm famished and I would enjoy some company." I lied. Obviously, I didn't want to pretend to enjoy human food and then purge it later, but I would to keep her around longer.

"I... I can't. I wish that I could, I really do. I'll probably just go home and make something instead." She said, still fidgeting with her keys. We started walking to her car and I had to wonder why she felt so ashamed.

* * *

**Heather's POV -**

We approached my car and every fiber of my being wanted to stay with him, wanted to go with him to dinner, but I couldn't afford it. I didn't get much of an allowance and neither of my parents could work at the moment, leaving us with a small income and not much spending money. I figured that I should go look for a part time job on Monday, but I didn't know if my parents would be all right with that. I felt ashamed that I couldn't do something as normal as going to grab some food with a new friend, but that was my situation and I would have to learn to live with it for the time being.

Jasper was looking at me with questions in his eyes. All kinds of questions that I couldn't answer, ones that I probably wouldn't know how to answer, even if I could. My eyes started to well up with tears from my inner humiliation. I couldn't let him see me crying because he would probably voice his opinions and I couldn't have that. He couldn't know a great deal about me and I couldn't let him know how humiliated I was.

I couldn't wait until next week. Next week we would be getting money and my mom would go grocery shopping for the month, making it possible to have Jasper over for a meal. I had to make this up to him; he looked so hurt that I wasn't spending more time with him.

"What about next Thursday? Would you like to come to my house for dinner? I could make us something, and then we could watch a movie or something." The words rushed out of my mouth and I hoped beyond home that he would want to. I found myself feeling the need to spend more time with him.

"That sounds lovely, Heather. I will be counting down the days until then," he said, bending down and kissing me lightly on the cheek. It was freezing out and his cool lips scorched my wind burnt skin, making me feel like I was on fire.

Still fidgeting, I tried to think of a way that we could spend more time together outside of school. I couldn't take him home right now, because there was no food and without warning, my parents probably wouldn't appreciate the guest. They were probably fighting right now too. They had been fighting a lot since we moved here. We were all under a great deal of stress and it was affecting them worse than me. They tried to keep up a facade so that I wouldn't suspect how much they were hurting, but I could hear them at night when they thought I was asleep. I was starting to dread that all of the things going on right now would tear apart my family.

They were the greatest family I had ever seen and they were wonderful parents. They had always been in love, that gross mushy-gushy kind of love that teenagers usually hated seeing, but I felt relief that they were one of the few parents that were still together in the world, divorce devastating most of today's families. I was a lucky child before we had to move here. I got everything I needed and sometimes go the extras that I really wanted. They usually made me work for money to buy the frivolous stuff that I sometimes wanted, but I didn't mind. I liked working for everything I had, I never wanted to be one of those spoiled brats that had everything handed to them, and I never was. My parents would never have allowed me to be brought up like that. After the recent month that we have had though, my parents weren't mushy-gushy; they weren't even acting as if they were in love anymore. The stress was causing them to try to distance themselves from each other as much as they could. They still talked when they were in their room at night, and I could hear my mother crying a lot, but I didn't want to butt in and ask them if their marriage was ending. I didn't feel that it was my place. When the time came, and I hoped it wouldn't, they would come to me and tell me if they were divorcing or not.

* * *

**Jasper's POV -**

She kept fidgeting like she was trying to stall going home. I took a wild guess and figured that she didn't want to leave. Whether she wanted to stay with me or just not go home, I didn't know, but I hoped it was me. I wanted to spend every minute with her to keep the ache in my chest non-existent. I wondered idly if she felt the ache when I wasn't there. I would ask her, eventually.

"Would you like to come to my house? We could watch a movie there and talk. I would really like to spend more time with you, and it's still relatively early," I asked, almost desperately.

"That sounds good." She said smiling and I placed my hand on the small of her back, leading her to Emmett's Jeep. I had borrowed it, just in case she allowed me to take her out; I didn't think she would be too excited to ride on the back of my motorcycle yet.

I was relieved that she answered so quickly, it seems that she didn't even think about her answer. As we walked to the Jeep, I sent a quick text to Edward, letting him know that I was bringing Heather home so that they would all be on their best human behavior. As we approached the massive vehicle, I helped her up and into her seat and walked at a human speed to the driver's side, not knowing how I controlled my speed so well, because I was beyond excited to get some time with her. When I climbed into the driver's seat, she was on the phone with her father.

"Hey, Daddy. I'm going to a friend's house... Yeah he's a friend from school... Okay, I'll see you around midnight... Thank you... Sleep well and tell mom I said goodnight... I love you guys too... Bye."

I started the Jeep, glancing down at my phone and quickly reading the reply from Edward. I put my phone in the center console and started the engine, leaving the almost empty parking lot quickly, heading towards the restaurant.

* * *

"This doesn't look like your house." Heather said, emitting a feeling of dread.

"It's not. I figured you were hungry, considering the sounds that are coming from your stomach. We can eat and then go back to my house."

"Wait Jasper." She said, grabbing my arm and pulling her hand away. "We can't go in there."

"Why not?" I asked my curiosity spiking.

"I... I don't have any money. Today was just a day to get out of the house, not actually a day to buy anything." She said looking down, her feeling of embarrassment enveloping her and flushing her skin.

I took the back of my hand and caressed her cheek. She gasped and I quickly removed my hand. "I'm sorry, was that out of line?" It was definitely the first time I had ever touched a human in such an intimate matter.

"No, it's just, your hand is incredibly cold." She said looking at me.

"Yeah. I'm usually pretty cold." I let out a nervous chuckle. I climbed out of the Jeep and went to her side to open her door and help her out. She looked at me ashamed. "It's alright Heather. When I asked you to dinner, I meant that I would pay. I don't make my dates pay for their food." Another first, a date with a human.

"O...Okay." She smiled and it seemed that a weight lifted off her shoulders. Her mood turned very quickly to happy and content.

* * *

I walked into the front door with a giggling goddess behind me. She hadn't stopped laughing since we left the restaurant. She couldn't get over the look on my face as I was eating my meal. I'm guessing I wasn't acting as enthused as I thought. It tasted awful but Heather assured me that it tasted amazing after the couple of shrimp she had stolen off my plate when I declared that I was finished.

I was just happy that she seemed to get enough to eat and she was happy, even if her laughter was at my expense. As long as she was smiling, I would make a fool out of myself a million times over. Her laugh was like angels singing the sweetest song ever sung.

We walked into the living room where I heard all of my family. Great, just great. Introductions would be necessary if Esme had anything to say about it. Taking her hand in mine, I couldn't help but graze her knuckles with my lips once before coming into view of my family. They looked up and smiled at us, smiling wider when they saw the expression of bliss on my face. Heather fidgeted next to me, obviously feeling slightly uncomfortable around a bunch of strangers.

"Everyone, this is Heather, a friend from school." I started introductions while everyone had these smirks on that let me know that I was the biggest liar in calling her a friend. "Heather this is Esme, my mother, Carlisle, my father, Edward and Bella, my brother and sister-in-law, Nessie and Jake, my niece and nephew-in-law, Alice and Demetri you already saw at school, and Emmett and Rosalie, my brother-in-law and sister."

Heather smiled at everyone and waved, saying a quiet hi, looking to be calculating how my brothers and sisters could be married and look so young, and how Nessie and Jake could be married and be my niece and nephew when they didn't look much younger than everyone else. I would have to explain this eventually. She didn't ask questions though; she just smiled and told everyone that it was a pleasure to meet them.

All of a sudden, Rosalie gasped and walked closer to Heather. She stared at her face, studying it, before she apologized and walked back over to stand next to Emmett. I would have to ask about that later. Heather took the action with a grain of salt, but still a bit curious, and I excused the two of us, leading her up the stairs to my room.

Rosalie had never acted that strange around a human; she usually just assumed that she was better and left it alone. Very strange and another first. I had a feeling I was going to have all sorts of firsts with my lovely mate.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Any recognizable characters, plots, settings, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer alone. I am not trying to take credit away from her hard work and success. The only plots, characters, settings, etc. that are mine, are the ones that are completely made up by me and me alone. This story is rated M for language, violence, lemons, and anything else not suitable for people under eighteen years old. Remember to review! Thanks you & I hope you enjoy.**

**Edited by my amazingly fast editor Cori! :-)**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Confessions & Secrets **

**Heather's POV -**

As Jasper and I sit here watching some movie, which I can't quite remember what he said it was called, and I'm not really paying attention as I stare at the screen, I can't help but think about what happened downstairs with his sister, Rosalie I believe her name was. She looked like she had seen a ghost or something.

I can't take it anymore! This is insane. Jasper is wonderful, and his family seems great, but I can't help this feeling I'm getting, telling me that not everything is as it seems with them, although I can't really judge, considering my current situation.

I feel Jasper put his hand over my very cold, slightly shaking hands, and he turns to me. I feel somewhat calmer all of a sudden, and I'm thankful that I'm starting to get over the weird situation that occurred a little while ago. All I want to do is go find his sister and ask her what her problem had been, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be a good idea to confront her like that.

"Are you alright darlin'?" Jasper asked making my insides do this weird turning thing and making my heart want to leap out of my chest.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine Jasper. Um... where is your bathroom?" I had to get out of there and collect myself a bit.

"I have my own bathroom, but if you'd feel more comfortable, there is one down the hall. It's the fourth door on the right." He gave me a smile that had my panties soaked.

"I think I'll use the one in the hallway. Thank you." I got up, giving him a smile, and stepped out into the hall, walking toward where he said the bathroom was.

While walking down the hallway, I hear voices but decide to ignore them and make my way to the bathroom. I need to calm down my anxiety because it feels like it is spiking the further away I get from Jasper. Why am I so nervous? It's not the house or the people, Jasper makes me feel more comfortable and calm than I have felt for a while now. I can't seem to shake this feeling that something isn't right, though.

Maybe it's the way his sister acted downstairs. I don't know, but I don't want Jasper to know how anxious I am right now; he would probably never bring me back here again, and this is the only place where we can really be alone and hang out.

* * *

After about ten minutes in the bathroom, I'm probably going to look like an idiot. Quickly rinsing my hands in hot water and then splashing my face with cold water, I'm ready to go back to Jasper and try to act normal. As I walk out of the bathroom though, I hear voices coming from the room right next door. I know that eavesdropping is wrong but I can't help myself as my legs move of their own accord to the door that is slightly open, trying to quiet my breathing as much as possible so that I don't give myself away as a snoop... Which is what I am right about now... Maybe I need a hobby or something.

"I'm telling you Alice, she looks just like my mother. Here." I think that's Rosalie but I can't chance looking through the crack in the door and possibly drawing attention to myself.

I hear a gasp and then Alice says, "That's amazing. What do you think this means?"

"I'm not sure. I never kept track of my family after I was changed."

"Didn't you say Amelia and William had another child when you were young?"

"Yeah, my little brother was born when I was five. Charles was the cutest little thing. He grew up into a very sweet young man, and I now regret not keeping track of him. I don't know if he ever had children or anything, but Alice, you need to focus. Heather looks exactly like Amelia."

"She really does. An exact replica actually."

I gasped. My middle name is Amelia. My parents gave me that name after my great grandfather's mother. Her name was Amelia. I can't for the life of me remember what my great grandfather's name was, though. He died before I was born. I have a feeling that I need to see that picture. This is too creepy. What the hell did Rosalie mean by "After I was changed"? I almost run from the door and make my way back to Jasper's room. I need explanations now. I won't settle for anything else either.

* * *

**Jasper's POV -**

I could clearly hear Rose and Allie talking in Rose's room. After hearing what they were talking about, I really hope the girls are keeping their voices down. Heather is in the bathroom, right next to Rose's bedroom and I don't want to have to explain things to her right now, telling her I'm a vampire would probably scare her away.

I realize that I don't have the option of keeping this from her any longer, because two seconds later she came running through my door, closing it softly behind her, and silently demanding answers with her eyes. I can feel her anxiety, more than when she was in the bathroom, and I know she had to have heard. That would be the only reason for the sudden spike.

"Jasper, what is going on? I just heard... I just..." She started to ask what I was dreading, when she blacked out and went down. I caught her head before it hits the ground, and groaned. This was going to be a trying night.

My family ran into my room, looking at the girl on the ground and then back at me, expecting and explanation. I looked at them and shook my head, telling them that there might be confessions that now could not be avoided.

* * *

Heather began to stir about an hour later and I sighed in relief when my family left the room, not wanting to startle her with their presence. This was not going to be easy, and I only hoped that she only asked about the things that I could answer, not about Rose's family, because I didn't know how to explain that, considering we don't know why she would look like Rose's mother so much. It could be a situation of a random doppelganger, there might not even be any relationship between Heather and Rose, but who knows. I would have to look into that deeper at a later time. The beautiful angel in front of me began to open her eyes and when she looks up, if I had a beating heart, it would have skipped a few beats right then and there. She was heaven on earth and I never wanted to have to let her go. The thought made my chest ache and I knew that it was a real possibility after this conversation, but I hoped that the mating pull would be enough to keep her here and calm after I told her something that she needed to know.

"Jasper?" she whispered, her voice hoarse and I reached for the glass of water Esme had brought in for her.

"Drink this darlin'. It might make you feel better." I looked at her and smiled while she sipped the liquid, letting it wash over her tongue and slide down her throat. I wanted to kiss her, to make her realize that I was the person who would make all of her problems disappear, but we needed to have this talk. I needed to tell her now; there was no way around it at this point.

She sat up slowly and looked around. "What happened? I remember coming in here and I was going to ask you about-" I cut her off with an index finger against her lips.

"I know what you heard darlin'. I can explain that, but you have to promise me something. You can't run when I tell you. Please Heather; hear me out before you run away from me." I silently begged her with my eyes and she nodded once, letting me know that she would listen.

I took a deep, unnecessary breath and then went into the story. Only on my own though, like Edward, I didn't feel it was right to tell her the story of my family when it was their stories to tell. She patiently listened to me talk about the Civil War and then listened to me tell her everything about Maria and the Southern Vampire Wars, telling her about me, The God of War, and tell her about leaving that life and finding Alice. Telling her about us coming here to the Cullen's home and telling her about my separation with Alice after her and Bella went to Volterra. I left out the story of the Volturi, not wanting to go into them just yet and I explained the mating pull. I told her about seeing her picture before school started and told her that I was drawn to her because of said mating pull. I told her that I would cherish her and love her for the rest of eternity. Her emotions stayed calm and when I was done, I waited. I waited for her to run screaming from my room and my family's home. I waited for her to tell me that she never wanted to see me again and that she was going home to tell her family that they had to move. I waited for her to say she was exposing my family... I stopped waiting when she threw herself into my arms. She embraced me and my body relaxed.

She caressed my cheek before taking a deep breath and finally speaking. "Jasper, I'm not going anywhere. I feel the pull too, right here." She put my hand over where her heart is and I reveled in the feel of her heart beating under my hand. "I knew that I felt a connection with you, but I didn't know what it was. This explains so much. I need you just as much as you need me, Jasper. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere and I'm not telling a soul about what you have told me. Thank you so much for telling me your secret."

I stared into her eyes for a long moment, feeling her emotions and knowing that she was telling me the truth. She was calm and a feeling of intense love and admiration washed over me. I wondered if that feeling would stay if I showed her all of my scars, but somehow knew that she would still love me. I loved this girl unconditionally and could never face it if she didn't want to be with me.

I rolled up the sleeves of my long sleep sweater and looked down at my arms. She looked down and took a deep inhale of breath, taking in the sight of my many scars that covered my arms. They were all over my body, but I didn't know how much she could handle after all of the information she was currently absorbing. She leaned down and brushed her lips against one scar. She moved to a second, third, fourth, and kept going until she had kissed every scar covering both of my arms.

"Jasper, I'm so sorry. I... when you told me about the... these scars... you're beautiful." She couldn't form a coherent sentence and that was understandable. I was just relieved that she didn't cringe away from the sight and find me hideous. Even Alice had a hard time with the scars, throughout our whole relationship I never went without a shirt, even when we were alone, and generally I wore all long sleeved shirts because I knew how uncomfortable she was with them; she didn't have to say it but I could feel it.

"Thank you darlin'." I smiled and brushed the back of my hand over her cheek.

"What time is it?"

"A little after midnight. Oh... you need to get home, don't you?"

"Yeah. My parents might be worried." She slowly got up and went to the door. I walked her downstairs and my family stayed in their respectable bedrooms, waiting until she left. I could feel everyone's excitement and I knew they would practically pounce on me the second I came back.

* * *

Walking through my front door a half hour later, my whole family was waiting in the living room. I had taken Heather to the flea market to retrieve her car, and then followed her to her house, giving her a goodnight kiss at her door, and then made my way back to my obviously overeager family. I looked at them all and they looked at me expectantly. Esme was the first to step forward with a huge smile on her face and hug me fiercely. If I were human, it would have been a bone crushing kind of hug. I felt happiness, concern, and even anger radiating from my family. I couldn't pinpoint who was feeling what because they were all crashing down on me at once, but I had to clear up everything.

"I felt her emotions. She loves me and she won't tell anyone anything. She doesn't want me to go anywhere and when I was saying goodbye to her tonight, I told her that if she told anyone, we wouldn't be able to stay. She meant it when she said that she felt the mating pull. I felt an amazing amount of love radiating off of her." I smiled, thinking of my angel. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to find her.

Although, when she went inside her house tonight, I didn't just feel her love for me, I could feel anguish. I wouldn't press her but I needed to know what that was about. Every time I leave her, I feel anguish and pain coming from her. Maybe it's just the mating pull, but for some reason I doubted that just being away from me would cause as much of it as I felt. Maybe it would cause a good deal of it, but most likely not all of it. I had to eventually know what was going on with her, because it felt like she was keeping things from me, and I needed to know everything about her, especially if she wanted to join me in this life eventually. There had been a great deal of confessions tonight, but I still feared that there were still plenty of secrets that were going to have to come to the light, soon.


End file.
